Developing everyday leaders: a four-year study of undergraduates’ identity, motivation and civic values

Purpose Encouraging student participation in undergraduate leadership education (ULE) programs and developing graduates into everyday leaders remains a central challenge for program designers and administrators. Design/methodology/approach This longitudinal study examines the predictive roles of leader identity and motivation to develop leadership (MTDL) in 155 students at college entry, assessing outcomes four years later. Findings Structural equation modeling revealed that leader identity positively predicted MTDL at college entry. In turn, MTDL was positively associated with both leadership program participation and everyday leadership behaviors by the end of college, though not as part of a mediated pathway. Civic values, rather than moderating this relationship, showed a direct positive association with everyday leadership. Practical implications ULE programs that foster students' MTDL and civic values are more likely to produce everyday leaders. However, program participation alone is insufficient. Educators and administrators should enhance students' developmental readiness and promote purposeful engagement to improve the transfer of learning into real-world leadership behaviors. Future research should integrate leadership across both work and non-work domains. Originality/value This study is among the first to test developmental antecedents of the emerging concept of everyday leadership, offering insights into the psychological processes that underpin leadership development in ULE contexts.